


Silent Night, Silent Love

by jenniferjun1per



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 12:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3290111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenniferjun1per/pseuds/jenniferjun1per
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern au. Based on one of the stories from the movie "Love Actually".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_5 weeks until Christmas_

Anna blew on her hands to warm them as she walked along the street, cursing herself for forgetting her mittens. She had been in too much of a rush to get out of her apartment, excited at  _finally_  being able to see the Christmas storefront windows with Hans. They had only been put up the day before, and normally Anna would have been there, front and center when they were unveiled, but Hans had to work late and they ended up missing it. She had tried to hide her disappointment but the pout on her lips was unmistakable, and Hans had promised her they would go the next day.

As it was, she had practically sprinted the five blocks to his apartment, and by the time she reached his door she was almost collapsing from breathing so hard. She knocked insistently on the door, leaning her forehead on the cold wood as she tried to catch her breath.

The door flew open with a jerk and Anna fell forward into the apartment, and would have smashed her face on the parquet floor if not for two strong arms catching her.

“Whoooop!” She grabbed onto the arms holding her and righted herself, tilting her head up to see the stoic face of Hans’ flatmate, Kristoff.

“Oh! Hi! Thanks for catching me! Whew, that could’ve ended badly!” She tried to laugh it off, pretending to swipe the back of her hand across her forehead, but Kristoff only blinked at her.

“Don’t lean against the door next time.” Letting go of her arms, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the apartment.

Anna stood dumbfounded for a moment, but quickly regained her senses. She had long come to the conclusion that Kristoff didn’t like her. In all the time she had been dating Hans he had never said more than a few words to her, and rarely stayed in the same room when she was there. He barely even looked at her, and when he did, it was with the blankest expression she had ever seen. At first Anna had tried her hardest to make him like her, inviting him to go with them to dinner, or a game, or even just down to the pub for drinks. She had tried to engage him in conversation, making jokes or trying to talk about the rugby match he was watching on tv. But he would only grunt, and abruptly leave the room. She had asked Hans about it but Hans had only shrugged, saying Kristoff wasn’t a people person and really kept to himself.

She had tried not to let it get to her, but a part of her was hurt that she couldn’t get through to him. She pledged to remain civil at least, but deep down she hoped he would come around eventually.

“Ah you’re here!” Hans came around the corner, snapping Anna out of her thoughts.

“Yes! So come on! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” She started to tug on his arm, and he laughed.

“Hold your horses! Let me get my coat on!” He slipped on his coat and grabbed a hat and gloves, noticing Anna’s bare hands.

“You didn’t wear any mittens? Isn’t it cold out?” He wondered, mostly to himself, as he pulled out his phone to check the weather.

“Uh yeah, I might’ve forgotten them.” She smiled sheepishly. Looking up into the closet she noticed a pair of worn leather mitts sticking out of a basket. “Hey, can I borrow those?” She asked hopefully.

“Hmm?” Hans looked up to see the mitts in question. “Oh, those. You’ll have to ask Kristoff, those are his.” And his attention went back to his phone.

Anna bit her lip. She weighed her options: cold hands or risk being grumped at? She came to a decision rather quickly though. She hated being cold.

“Kristoff!” She called, in her sweetest voice.

No answer.

“Uh, Kristoff? Could I borrow your mitts?” She tried again.

A pause. Then a grunt came from somewhere inside the apartment.

“I take it that’s a yes?”

No answer.

“Sounds good to me.” She grabbed the mitts from the shelf and shoved her hands into them as they walked out the door, Anna slipping her arm through Hans’ as they made their way to the street.


	2. Chapter 2

_2 weeks until Christmas_

Anna and Hans sat at the kitchen table, the pieces of a gingerbread house laid out before them. Anna was armed with the icing tube, enthusiastically squeezing the white confectionary onto anything she could get her hands on, once in a while squeezing a ribbon into her mouth.

“Anna, stop that! That’s disgusting!” Hans laughed, shaking his head at her, as he held up gingerbread pieces, trying to keep up with Anna’s manic icing skills.

“Mmmph… it’s so yummy though! Want some?” She held out the tube to him, icing dripping down her chin. He didn’t get a chance to respond, as his phone started beeping incessantly in his pocket. He took the call, getting out of his chair and walking into the living room, leaving Anna alone and pouting.

She set her elbows on the table, dropping her chin heavily into her hands, her lower lip pushed out. Sighing heavily, she decided to continue on her own, when there was the heavy sound of a key in the lock. Anna looked up to see the front door opening, Kristoff coming through carrying bags of groceries. He didn’t see her at first, as he took off his coat and boots, but as he turned to head into the kitchen he finally locked eyes with her. Anna gave a little wave, but he only regarded her for a moment before he turned towards the cabinets to put the groceries away.

An awkward silence hung in the air, as Hans had moved to the bedroom to take his call. There was only the sound of cans scraping against the shelving as Kristoff went about his chore. Anna couldn’t stand the silence, so she started humming Christmas carols. Kristoff paused for a moment, but he remained with his back to her, finally moving to the freezer to put away the rest of the day’s shopping.  His chore done, he started to walk out of the kitchen when Anna spoke up.

“Hey, we’re making a gingerbread house, wanna help?”  She ended up addressing his back, as he never stopped to answer her, a grunt and a backhanded wave was all she got in response.

Anna felt doubly rejected, and it stung. It was bad enough her boyfriend was preoccupied with work calls, but his flatmate not even caring enough to speak to her with actual words hurt her more than she was willing to admit. She felt hot tears burning at her eyes and blinked them away, refusing to let it get to her. Picking up the icing tube she went back to work on the gingerbread house and within a frenetic few minutes she had a chaotically constructed edifice standing, icing dripping off of every surface and candy decorations haphazardly spread over everything. She leaned back in her chair and admired her work, her mood improving considerably.

She decided she wanted to decorate the house by cutting figures of Santa and reindeers out of cardboard, so she set about looking through all the drawers for supplies she could use. Not finding anything, she decided it was important enough to disturb Hans’ call. Marching up to his closed bedroom door she knocked resolutely.

“What is it Anna?” Came the muffled voice from inside.

“I need scissors and some cardboard.” She stated curtly. She was still a little miffed with him.

“Check the kitchen drawers.”

“I did, and I didn’t find anything.”

“Well then check with Kristoff, he works in an art studio, he must have something.” His tone signaled the conversation was over, and sure enough he went back to barking into the phone.

Sighing loudly, Anna turned on her heel and trudged towards Kristoff’s room. She was raising her hand to knock when the door suddenly opened and Kristoff stood tall in front of her.

“Oh! Uh, hi!” She had been taken aback, not expecting him to open the door. He looked down at her, clearly waiting for her to state what she needed. “Um, would you happen to have scissors and some cardboard I could use?” She asked, smiling sweetly for a better effect.

“In my desk drawer.” He motioned behind him as he walked out into the hallway.

“Uh, thanks!” She called out to him, as she heard him opening the front door.

“And don’t touch anything else!” The front door slammed shut, and Anna was suddenly alone in Kristoff’s room.

_Don’t touch anything don’t touch anything_ , she repeated over and over to herself, but she couldn’t help looking around the room. It was sparsely furnished, his total possessions composed of a bed, a desk and chair, and a small bedside table. He had very little in terms of trinkets or decorations, and the walls were bare. Anna moved towards the desk, where a tablet sat, along with a notebook and a plastic cup filled with pens and pencils.

Anna was dying of curiousity, but she willed herself to open the desk drawer only. Sure enough, she found a pair of scissors and some cardstock. Picking them gingerly out of the drawer, she was about to turn around and leave the room when the tablet caught her eye. She had a moment of inner conflict, biting her lip as she stared at it.

_I’ll just take a quick peek, what’s the worst that could happen?_  She thought. Reaching out, she pressed the home button and took a deep breath. She wasn’t at all prepared for what she saw.

It was a sketch of a woman’s face, with her hair in two braids like Anna wore. She swiped and found another one, this time the woman sat at a table, her chin resting in her hands. She swiped again, and the woman was walking along a tree-lined street, her braids in mid-bounce against her back. She swiped again, and this time the picture looked more finished. In it, the woman was smiling, and the colours danced on the page, making her look vibrant and alive. Anna thought vaguely that he captured the auburn of her hair perfectly…

The creak of a floorboard signified that someone had entered the room, but Anna didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

“Me… these are all… of me…” She continued swiping slowly, her voice catching as she spoke. “But- but you never talked to me, you barely looked at me. I- I don’t understand.” She finally turned to look at him, and she would never forget the look on his face for as long as she lived.

He was a tall and imposing figure, but at that moment, with his shoulders hunched he seemed so small. In his brown eyes she saw a pain and longing so intense it burned right through to her heart. She felt a rush of emotion overtake her, and for the first time in her life she was speechless.

“I- uh- I hope you found what you were looking for.” He avoided her gaze, his eyes falling instead on the tablet in her hands.

Anna’s mouth opened to speak, but she found the muscles unresponsive. As much as she wanted to speak, to cry out, she couldn’t. She could only stand there, stunned into silence.

“It’s a… self-preservation thing, you see.” He shuffled on the spot, as if he was unsure if he should walk into the room or walk out. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, before he pulled one out to run nervously through his hair. Finally, he seemed to make up his mind, turning swiftly on his heel and walking out. Anna heard the front door slam, the sound of it reverberating through the apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

_5 days until Christmas_

The snow fell in thick flakes, tumbling lazily through the air before landing on the ground. Anna shivered as they walked along, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm. Hans glanced from his phone screen to shake his head in disdain at her bare hands.

“Anna, I don’t know why you can’t just remember to bring your gloves.” He chided her, and Anna looked over at his leather glove clad hands with envy. She suddenly remembered worn leather mitts, and she felt her heart turn over in her chest. She realized she hadn’t seen Kristoff since the day she had discovered his sketches, and worse than that, she hadn’t stopped thinking about him. She had been dying to ask Hans about his whereabouts, but she didn’t want him getting suspicious. Biting her lip, she decided to try a different approach.

“Um, what exactly does Kristoff do for a living?” She tried to sound nonchalant, like she was just making conversation, but it was a superhuman effort for her to mask the tremble in her voice.

“He works in an art studio. Dunno exactly what he does there.” Hans continued scrolling on his phone, eyebrows knitted together.

Anna inhaled deeply, willing her heartbeat to settle as she prepared to ask her next question.

“Do you- uh- did you know he sketches? Like draws. As in, artwork. Himself. He does…” She trailed off, realizing she was babbling, and risking a glance up at him her heart sank as she saw that he was barely paying attention to her.

“Mmhmm. No, I had no idea.” He responded, more out of politeness than a real interest in the conversation. His eyes were glued to his phone screen, something he was reading there consuming his concentration.

“Yeah, he does.” Anna replied, her voice a little louder and stronger, “He’s really good too.” She added, bolder now. They had reached his apartment, Anna standing to one side as Hans fished for his keys.

“I’m sure he is.” He answered absent-mindedly, as he paused from his phone to unlock the apartment door.

Anna stepped over the threshold hesitantly, her heart thumping in her chest. She hoped he was home, but she already knew beyond a doubt that he wouldn’t be. She followed Hans into the living room and risked a glance at his door. Sure enough, the door was slightly open, the room beyond it bathed in darkness. Her shoulders slumped, eyes downcast, she stopped in front of the bare tree, which was her entire reason for being there.

They were supposed to decorate the tree days ago, but their schedules never seemed to line up and Hans had been working late more days than usual. Anna had finally put her foot down and said they were doing it that day, and that’s how she had ended up at his apartment, with a bare tree and a box full of ornaments to decorate it with.

“Just gonna get something from my room.” He said suddenly, disappearing behind his bedroom door, which he shut with a resounding click.

Anna bit her lip, willing the disappointment that was bubbling up inside of her away. She didn’t want to cry, or be upset, since Christmas was such a special holiday to her and she wanted everything to be perfect. She didn’t want to be doing  _another_  holiday tradition by herself, like she did with the gingerbread house.

Shrugging her shoulders, she took a deep breath and straightened herself up. She was determined to keep the holiday special, even if she had to do it all by herself. Kneeling down, she began rummaging through the box of ornaments when Hans came out of his room, wheeling a suitcase behind him.

“Hans?” Anna stood, her eyes glued to the suitcase, “What’s going on?”

“Oh Anna, I’m so  _so_  sorry, but I have to go.” He wasn’t even looking at her, flitting about the apartment picking out some last minute things to put in the suitcase.

“Wh- what do you mean? Go where?” Anna was confused, staring wide-eyed after him.

“There’s a deal, out of town, and I have to go. I’m so sorry.” He finally stopped in front of her, cupping her face with one hand, “I’ll be back in a few days, I promise.” He smiled at her, leaning down to give her a kiss.

“A few days? Do you realize  _Christmas_  is in a few days?” She practically spat out the words before his lips could touch hers, her face reddening. Hans withdrew from her, turning towards the front door.

“I’m sorry Anna. I’ll call you when I get back.” The door slammed behind him.

Anna stood rooted to the spot for a moment, anger clouding her vision. She clenched her hands at her sides, before she finally let out a scream, all of the disappointment bottled up inside her being released. With adrenaline coursing through her veins, she upturned the box of decorations, glass balls spilling and shattering on the floor, little reindeer and Santa figurines tumbling out. She turned to the tree, smashing it until it fell to the floor in a heap of broken branches and pine needles.

Blinking, Anna didn’t realize she had been crying until she felt the hot tears on her cheeks. She looked around at the carnage and buried her face in her hands, sobbing in shame at what she had done. Christmas was her happiest time of year, and this is what he had reduced it to for her.

Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, she resolved to enjoy her Christmas, with him or without him. Gathering up her things, she left the apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

_Christmas Eve_

Anna cradled her mug of hot chocolate as she made her way to the couch, readying herself for a quiet night in. She had an entire library of Christmas movies on queue, and she was just about to pop one on when her phone beeped. Thinking it was her sister Elsa checking up on her,  _again_ , she sighed loudly as she walked over to the desk where her phone was plugged in to charge. She had to read the message on the screen several times before it sunk in who it was.

_If you’re not busy, could you please come by the apartment? There’s something here for you. -K_

The only “K” she knew was Kristoff, and she had no idea he even had her number. Of course he must have gotten it from Hans, and of course whatever it was at the apartment that was for her was from Hans. If that was the case, she didn’t want it. She typed furiously on her phone.

_If it’s from Hans, I don’t want it._

The response came back rather quickly.

_Just trust me. Will you please come?_

Anna was intrigued. Besides, it wasn’t like she was doing anything remotely interesting on Christmas Eve. And she  _had_  missed Kristoff, she couldn’t deny that he had been on her mind since she had discovered his sketches. Walking into the bedroom, she changed out of her Christmas pajamas into a warm turtleneck sweater and jeans, slipped her coat on and headed out the door.

—-

She rubbed her frozen hands together to warm them up, inwardly cursing again at having forgotten her mittens, before she raised a hand to knock at the apartment door. As her fist touched the door, it opened slightly on creaky hinges, and the smell of freshly baked gingerbread wafted out. Anna pushed the door open tentatively, her eyes trying to adjust to the darkness of the hallway.

“Hello? Anyone here?” She walked further into the apartment on slow steps, towards a soft glow coming from the living room. “Kristoff? Are you here?” The sounds of Christmas music playing softly filled her ears, and as she rounded the corner and entered the living room, her jaw almost dropped to the floor.

In one corner of the room, where she and Hans were supposed to have decorated a tree, stood a majestic fresh pine. It was covered in delicate glass ornaments, kitschy reindeer and Santa figures, plenty of tinsel, a popcorn garland that wound around the tree endless times, and a full array of twinkling lights. At the top stood the brightest star she had ever seen, filling the room with its ethereal glow.

Anna could only stare with wide eyes, unblinking, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Her blue eyes ran over every detail from top to bottom, when she noticed two objects underneath the tree. She moved forward on shaky legs, kneeling down to look closer. One of the objects was a leather bound album, and picking it up, she hesitated for only a brief moment, before she thumbed it open.

It was filled with the sketches she had previously seen on Kristoff’s tablet, except the pictures were finished and coloured, each page dedicated to an image of her. Anna’s vision began to blur as her eyes misted over, and looking away she caught sight of the other object, a wrapped present. Putting down the album, she picked up the present and read the tag.

_For Anna, From Kristoff_

_Keep warm_

Ripping the paper off, she opened the box to reveal a pair of worn leather mitts. Anna sat heavily on the floor, a sob escaping her lips as she looked around at everything he had done for her. Her heart was doing somersaults in her chest, and with trembling hands she pulled out her phone.

_Why did you do this?_  She texted. A heartbeat elapsed before he responded, a barrage of texts lighting up her phone…

_Because you deserved a Christmas_

_And because at Christmas you tell the truth_

_So I just wanted to say_

_Without hope or agenda_

_That to me_

_You are perfect_

_And I will love you_

_With an aching desperation_

_For-_

_Well-_

_Forever._

Anna clutched the phone to her chest, before it beeped again.

_Merry Christmas Anna._

“Merry Christmas, Kristoff.” She whispered, as the sound of carolers outside on the street singing Silent Night filled the night air, the church bells tolling as the clock struck twelve.


	5. Epilogue

_Christmas Day_

Hans returned on Christmas Day, having shown up at Anna’s door unexpectedly. He had produced a small blue box from behind his back, and was armed with a carefully prepared speech. Anna could only stare in disbelief, watching his lips move as he talked but unable to comprehend anything he was saying. She did, however, catch words like “proposition” and “prudent” and “beneficial”, and with every business-like buzzword he used she felt herself slipping free from his grasp.

When he had finally grown silent, his eyebrows raised in anticipation of her response, she merely looked him straight in his green eyes and shook her head. He thought she was joking at first, but when she didn’t laugh he grew belligerent, threatening her that he would leave and disappear from her life forever.

Anna wished him godspeed.

_6 days later_

The city was experiencing an unusual mild spell, leaving the streets a mess of gray slush. Anna’s mood was anything but gray as she splashed across the sidewalk in her rubber boots. She stopped to let the brisk air sweep over her face, clutching her warm coffee in her leather-mitted hands. She chuckled at the irony, having remembered her mittens when the weather was nice but never when she really needed them. She smiled thinking about the person who gave her those very mitts, when her phone beeped in her purse. Fishing it out, she read the text with a widening smile.

_Hey sunshine_

_Hi Kristoff :-)_

_If you’re free tonight could you come by?_

_Why? Is this going to be like Christmas eve? ;-)_

_If you’re asking if I’ve decorated a tree, baked cookies, and wrapped presents then no_

_Lol! Ok I’ll be there_

She slipped the phone back into her purse, her heart pounding so hard in her chest she feared it would break free.

—-

Anna rubbed her damp hands on her jeans as she walked up the steps to Kristoff’s apartment. She stopped on the landing to check her hair and makeup for the millionth time, cursing herself for being so nervous. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and walked up to the door. She was about to knock when she noticed a sign taped to it with the word “Roof” and an arrow pointing to the stairs. She ran up the steps, her curiousity getting the better of her, and opened the door to the roof.

Kristoff stood to one side, looking just as nervous as she felt. The night was unseasonably warm, so he was only dressed in a knit sweater over a crisp white undershirt. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, and he shuffled on the spot, his blond hair falling into his face as he moved.

What got Anna most, however, was the smile on his face. The way it was a bit crooked, one corner of his mouth riding slightly higher than the other. The way he couldn’t hide it, his cheeks stretching to accommodate his elation. Clearing his throat, he stumbled to speak, and Anna couldn’t help but smile.

“Uh… so it’s gonna be midnight soon, and I thought, what do people do in this city on New Year’s Eve? Ah, the countdown! But I didn’t wanna brave those crowds so I thought hey, we have the best view in the house!” He gestured to one side, and Anna could clearly see where the ball would drop a few blocks away.

“Oh wow!” She breathed, “You really do have the best view!”

“Right? Oh, and here,” He gestured over to where he had two folding chairs set up, with blankets draped over them, “In case you get tired of standing, and blankets in case you get cold…” He fumbled with the fleece, almost dropping them on the floor, and Anna couldn’t help the smile that was widening her face.

“This is wonderful, Kristoff. It really is.” She touched his arm, and he immediately stopped his fussing. He looked at her, and even though her mind was telling her to wait, that she had just gotten out of a relationship, the ardor in his brown eyes stirred her heart.

“Come on, have a seat,” He pulled her by the arm, breaking her out of her thoughts, and she laughed at his enthusiasm, “We might miss it!”

They took their seats as the ball started to drop slowly. They could hear the cheers from the crowd in the square, as they counted down. Kristoff turned to Anna, handing her a mug of hot chocolate.

“Sorry, I didn’t have any champagne.” He said sheepishly. Anna only smiled, and taking his hand they counted down the seconds together.

“… four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!” Everyone in the square shouted simultaneously, and not long after they burst into a raucous rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

Kristoff turned to Anna, clinking their mugs together.

“Happy New Year, Anna.”

“To new beginnings.” She replied, pulling him down for kiss.


End file.
